Outdoor area lighting, especially for sports facilities such as tennis courts, poses a number of problems. The lighting level should be relatively uniform and of a high intensity over the area. The fixtures should protect the wiring, ballasts, etc., from the elements. Economy suggests that the lighting be located close to the surface to be lighted, and excess light may be objectionable in many cases to homeowners and others adjacent the highly lighted area.
Particularly in the case of tennis court lighting, the support posts should be located so as to substantially eliminate the possibility of players running into them. The lighting system must be strong enough to withstand any high wind conditions to which it may be subjected, and maintenance should be both safe and relatively easy to perform.
Heretofore, outdoor lighting systems have failed to adequately fulfill many of these requirements. Most systems comprise banks of light mounted on tall poles or tower structures. These result in inefficient light transmission and create differences in lighting intensity on the playing surface, are subjected to high wind loads, require high climbing to service, are unsightly, and often cause complaints from neighbors.
Other area lighting systems have utilized individual lights hung from cables or similar means. These systems require strong support owing to the cable tension, expose the wiring to the elements, are difficult to service, and tend to create distracting light patterns due to swinging movement even in light breezes.